


we let it go

by Thorinoakentwig



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Episode: s08e05 The Bells, Fix-It, Gen, alternative ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-03-05 06:44:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18823237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thorinoakentwig/pseuds/Thorinoakentwig
Summary: She was not only the Mad King’s daughter.





	we let it go

**Author's Note:**

> fix it because I’m angry. Fuck it.

All she could hear was screaming at first and the sound of Drogon breathing. It reminded her of Meereen, of Astapor, of Yunkai.

There they called her _Mhysa _, there she was the _Breaker of Chains _. It had been easier there somehow, Westeros was supposed to be her birthright, her crowning achievement but she had never struggled so much before. Not even at the beginning when they’d had to leave the house with the red door, not even when all kindness had fled from Viserys and only cruelty remained.____

____She hadn’t thought of her brother in so long but she thought of him now with the sound of children screaming below her. She’d never heard him so clearly. It felt like she was but a girl again and he was giving her that look, threatening her not to wake the dragon._ _ _ _

____Is this what he’d have done she wondered. In another life with a Viserys with more tact or patience would he have ever made it across the Narrow Sea? Or would he always be fated to die far from home, unloved and afraid?_ _ _ _

____Viserys had loved her once, she was sure of it, before his madness had taken him. He’d loved her and he’d beaten her. He’d loved her and sold her away. He’d loved her and betrayed her._ _ _ _

____Jon Snow loved her and would betray her. By his own doing or someone else’s. She thought of Varys, of Tyrion and Sansa Stark and wondered which whisper in his ear would be the one to do her in._ _ _ _

____Would Sansa raise her armies and force Jon to go against her? Was Tyrion with all his cunning still trying to keep his family alive?_ _ _ _

____Who in this unforgiving land would be the end of her?_ _ _ _

____She thought of her father and her brothers. They’d all died alone, all done in by their own plans or madness. Even sweet Rhaegar, with the love of seven kingdoms had died gasping for his breath with half the world thinking him a rapist or kidnapper._ _ _ _

____Daenerys could feel the tension thrumming through her child and she ran one small hand down his scales._ _ _ _

____Was she meant to echo their fate? Ser Barristan Selmy had once told her of a saying about her family. That they were torn between madness and greatness._ _ _ _

____He’d believed in her, believe she might be like Rhaegar. He’d given his life for his faith like so many others. Like Jorah and Missandei, they’d died because of her enemies but also because they’d stood by her even when she’d had nothing._ _ _ _

____Long ago Jorah had said she’d had a gentle heart and she had denied it. A gentle heart could not win or keep a kingdom she’d thought. But she didn’t think that was quite true anymore. Hadn’t it won her the unsullied, hadn’t it given her the precious love of Missandei and all those who’d chosen freedom over fear._ _ _ _

____What would they call her a hundred years from now? A conqueror? A tyrant?_ _ _ _

____They’d called Viserys _the Beggar King _until the day he wore a golden crown. Her father had been _the Mad King _long before he’d almost left behind a kingdom of ashes. Even now Rhaegar was called _the Last Dragon _._______ _ _ _

__________She’d gained so many titles throughout the years, that they rolled around in her mouth like the chime of Drogo’s victory bells. What was to be her final one?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Around her the world grew silent for a moment and Daenerys realized she was panting, trying to catch her breath. She felt like crying but no tears came, no sorrow escaped._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________In the distance she could her a faint sound that suddenly grew louder and louder._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Bells ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________she thought of Tyrion’s pleading from the other morning and wondered if it was a trap. Some great trick he’d pulled. She’d call off the attack, step away from the safety of Drogon, and before she could set foot in the Red Keep, Cersei Lannister or Jon Snow would slit her throat._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Daenerys the Fool they’d call her. Daenerys who’d proven in the last moment, in the one moment that mattered that she was a stupid little girl never meant for war. Daenerys who had let her loved ones die for nothing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Her father had fallen for a Lannister trick once. He’d been convinced to open the gates of King’s Landing and paid for it with Jaime Lannister’s blade to his throat._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________She desperately wished to speak to Missandei one last time, to speak to Jorah. She knew her heart but it was hard to trust herself when she felt so lost._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Never before had the weight of her family’s legacy felt so crushing. Was she flying or drowning?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Daenerys looked at the Red Keep and thought not of her father, of her long slayed brothers but of her mother._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________She’d been dead before Daenerys could take her first breath, before she could roar. When she was younger she’d pleaded for Viserys to tell her about her on the rare occasions he was kind._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Viserys told her of what they’d do to the Usurper, of how they’d murder the Lannisters, and the Starks, but sometimes he’d speak quietly of Rhaella too._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________She had been beautiful and kind and she’d loved her children with the fierceness of any dragon. She’d protected Rhaegar and Viserys from the worst of Aerys’ cruelty and rage. She’d told Viserys stories of when dragons roamed the skies. Rhaella who’d inspired kindness and love even from the likes of the Lannisters._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Rhaella Targaryen would never be memorable to the maesters or the rest of world. She was a footnote with no title, no victories. A woman who’d go down like so many others for doing her duty and bearing her children._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________And yet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Rhaegar had not fallen to madness, and even cruel, cowardly Viserys had been different once._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Before she had ever been _Khaleesi _, before she had ever been the _Mother of Dragons _, she’d been given the name _Stormborn _._______ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________With her family destroyed, swept far away from home by fear, Rhaella Targaryen had looked at her youngest daughter and with her dying breath gifted her the name Daenerys Stormborn._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________And it was a gift. It was nine months of fear and sorrow. It was a lifetime of dreams, regrets, and hopes in one word._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________She’d done the same for Rhaego once, for her dragons. Silent wishes spoken to no one of _I will keep you safe, I will protect you, of I will give you the world if only you ask it of me.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Rhaella who’d born Aerys’ madness more than any other soul living or dead. Rhaella who’d carried the marks of Targaryen cruelty on her skin and in her heart and still was nothing but kind._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________And yet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________She was not only the Mad King’s daughter. Madness and fear was not her only fate._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Perhaps a hundred years from now they’d call her _Daenerys the Fool _perhaps they’d never call her great but no one would dare call her mad.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Daenerys took one last breath and let go of the fear that had been chaining her down._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Drogon who knew her better than anyone headed towards the Red Keep without need of a word, below her the screaming had stopped. When she dared to look down it was too far to make out anyone’s expression. Some part of her wished it was love on their faces, but at the very least she hoped it was no longer fear._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Her name was Daenerys Stormborn and she was the daughter of Rhaella Targaryen and today all she wanted was not madness or greatness but to be kind._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr/Twitter @thorinoakentwig


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